The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill passed it’s first reading in Parliament yesterday by a vote of 119-1.

Climate Change Minister James Shaw:

“This Bill provides the framework, institutions, guidance and targets New Zealand needs to plan climate action that will help limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

“It also puts in legislation the requirement to develop a national adaptation plan to address the impacts of climate change.”

The National Party vote for the Bill to proceed, but expressed ‘major concerns’, and didn’t guarantee support right through the process.

“National is supportive of efforts to reduce emissions, however we must also ensure our approach manages economic impacts and is in line with a global response.”

The Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill has passed its first reading in Parliament with near unanimous support.

“Today’s vote across political party lines to pass the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Bill through its first reading signals strong bipartisan support for most aspects of this proposed climate legislation,” the Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw, said.

“Now New Zealanders have the opportunity to make their submissions to select committee on what they think the final shape of this key legislation should look like,” James Shaw said.

“This Bill provides the framework, institutions, guidance and targets New Zealand needs to plan climate action that will help limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

“It also puts in legislation the requirement to develop a national adaptation plan to address the impacts of climate change.

“I appreciate the broad support the Bill has received in Parliament to take it to select committee.

“I particularly want to acknowledge the National Party’s willingness to continue in the spirit of good faith with its support to send the Bill to select committee.

“I acknowledge that there are differing views on aspects of what’s been drafted. Select committee is the chance where people can put those views and argue their merits. I urge New Zealanders to do so, and I look forward to seeing what comes out of that process,” James Shaw said.

Shaw has aimed to get wide consensus across Parliament for this bill, which he sees as essentially to make enduring changes towards ‘zero carbon’.

This bill is a big deal for Shaw and the Greens, and also for Jacinda Ardern who has saikd that climate change is one of the big issues of the present time.

The current National party position:

National supports Climate Change Bill, but with major concerns

National has decided to support the Climate Change Response Act Amendment Bill through its first reading, but with serious concerns around the proposed methane target and the potential economic impact, Climate Change spokesperson Todd Muller says.

“National is supportive of efforts to reduce emissions, however we must also ensure our approach manages economic impacts and is in line with a global response.

“National supports many elements of the Bill including establishment of an independent Climate Change Commission, a framework for reducing New Zealand’s emissions and a framework for climate change adaptation.

“We have serious concerns about the target level that has been set.

“The proposed 24 – 47 per cent reduction in methane is not reflective of scientific advice and is too much too fast. A range of scientific reports have suggested agriculture would contribute no further warming with a 10 – 22 per cent reduction, which would be a more reasonable target.

“This is exactly the sort of decision the newly formed Climate Change Commission has been set up to consider and provide advice on. Unfortunately the one thing the Commission should be advising on is the one thing they haven’t been asked to do.

“The Regulatory Impact Statement for the Bill raises some big concerns around the economic implications for New Zealanders.

“In total, $300 billion is forecast to be shaved off the New Zealand economy between now and 2050, New Zealand’s economy will be nine per cent smaller under this target compared with the existing 50 per cent reduction target set by National.

“This figure already banks on new technology such as a ‘methane vaccine’ that allows farmers to reduce emissions. It assumes electric vehicles make up 95 per cent of our fleet, renewable electricity makes up 98 per cent of all electricity supply and 20 per cent of our dairy, sheep and beef land is converted to forestry.

“Without these assumptions, forecast costs quickly double or even quadruple.

“We need to reduce emissions and support global efforts to avoid climate change, but we also need to be open and honest about the potential costs of doing so.

“National is aware that we are talking about the future standard of living for us all, so we’re calling on the Environment Select Committee, who will now take the Bill forward, to consult with New Zealand’s science community and focus its attention on understanding an appropriate target level for New Zealand.”

I think that’s a fairly responsible approach from National – supporting the aims in general but questioning aspects of concern.

17 Comments

Should help Govt achieve their forgotten policy of lowering immigration. No ones going to want to move here when they realise that NZ is bloody cold and the Greens won’t allow you to turn on the heater.

Griff.

I live in New Zealand and have the doors and windows open year round.
I do not even own a heater.
Here is a little link you might find useful to help you make worthwhile comments about subjects in future.https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/strawman

We also note that National is Rational.
They do not deny the reality and potential of climate change unlike the fringe of the right who seem to overwhelm commenting on blogs.

Corky

I can’t talk for everyone, but most man-made climate change sceptics I know, including myself, accept the climate is changing. We just don’t accept the bullshit you and your ilk keep peddling. For the last 10 plus years I have heard ”the science is settled.” If that’s true, then
the hypothesis has proven to be shonky from the start.

Corky

Griff.

ROFL
yess Corky its unicorn farts.https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-whats-warming-the-world/
You are not a skeptic you are what is called a denier as any information given to you is ignored and you continue with your world view based only on your ignorance.
As to those peddling AGW due to human emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses .
They are called the scientific community.
We know you reject science.
That is why you get sucked in by nonsense like cloud busters and other gibbering loony ideas.
That you get up ticked for such idiocy shows the paradigm of right wing commenters and their issues with reality.

Corky

”You are not a skeptic you are what is called a denier.” Yes, I will own that – a man-made climate change denier.

The thing that irritates me, is nutters like you, in and out of the science community, will never be held criminally culpable for this scam when it’s proven to be quack science, perpetrated by scientists more interested in tenure and funding rather than altruism towards their fellow human beings.

By the way, here is a REAL cloudbuster in action, with graphs and weather maps to show it’s operation.

Griff.

The Cloudbuster, also known under the name Chembuster is a a big orgonite with metal pipes extending out of it to purify/energise the sky. A complete cloudbuster weighs around 21kg, the cloudbuster base weighs around 13kg, it is made of polyester resin, aluminium shavings, about 100g of chips of white/transparent quartz and 100g of chips of rose quartz. Like other orgonites, I add rose quartz to center the energies of the orgonites on the heart chakra, I like rose quartz! The aluminium shavings contain a tiny amount of wood shavings (1-2%) to also include the energies of nature, which are also well centered on the heart chakra energies; joy, peace, love and gratitude; the energetic aspects that seem the most important for all living beings.

The pipes of the cloudbuster are made of copper and have an external diameter of 28mm (standard plumbing size in Europe and almost across the entire world, or 1.1 inch in imperial units).

Don’t ask me questions about this subject (except if you have more insight to add to the topic! 😀 ), I cannot tell you more than that. I just followed my intuition, these schematics seem too perfect to just be a coincidence. 🙂 From my understanding, the energy of the standard cloudbuster, with 7.27-14.55 cm spacing, gives a more yin/feminine energy and the induction cloudbuster, with spacing 8.4 – 16.8 cm, gives a more yang/masculine energy. The subjective feedback from my friend, Ia Orana Feng Shui, matches well with my intuition. According to his impressions, for cloudbusters with that precise spacing, the standard cloudbuster seems to form more of an energetical half-dome whereas the induction cloudbuster seems to create a vertical column spreading out at higher altitudes.

adamsmith1922

I would be more impressed if the Greens were forced to rescind their opposition to scientific advances in agriculture which assist achieving the aims. Plus turning good farmland into forestry when the world needs efficiently produced protein is stupid.
EVs require massive energy to produce and involve mineral mining for lithium and cobalt, but that’s all right by the Greens and their followers as it’s only Africans who suffer.
EVs are a potentially Toxic disposal issue and battery life is short compared with combustion engines. To my mind the EV solution is a snake oil solution which ignores reality and penalises the poor.
I suspect the true economic cost of this bill is much greater and it’s targets are built on some monumentally heroic, indeed stupid assumptions built on a cult belief.

Griff.

Sigh. more of the usual right wing nonsense.
Lithium is not mined in the third world that is unless you think that island 1200miles west is the third world .http://www.lithiummine.com/lithium-mining-in-australia
Much of the known reserves do not even need to be mined .https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salar_de_Uyuni
Cobalt is a by product of nickel and copper ore mining switch of your electricity and dont use anything made of stainless steel if you are worried about the effects of mining for it.
In modern cars the life of the actual engine is far longer than all the pieces that hang of it like cam belts, radiators, the fuel delivery sytem, turbos, gearboxes etc.
These hundreds of extra parts are not needed for an electric car Motor which has one moving part.
As to battery life. part
I always find a nice picture makes a point better than text.

adamsmith1922

harryk

The Path Forward to A Battery Minerals Industry was prepared by AMEC last year to lobby State and Commonwealth to support the Lithium industry and downstream procession in Western Australia.

file:///D:/0427%20Battery%20minerals%20opportunity%20FINAL.pdf

To make money investors had to be in from the start of the exploration and excavation phases, now over, as is the rationalisation phase in which investors can still make money with takeover speculation. The market now knows which resources will proceed to production in this current cycle without causing oversupply. Royalty streamers are also buying, and above current value, enabling investors to sell for a lump sum, enough to invest in the downstream phase. Those that are best placed have recruited good chemists to give them an edge over competitors. The strategic goal is not just battery grade lithium hydroxide but establishing a hub around Lithium downstreaming which can attract investment first in byproducts and grow into an industrial chemicals industry. This is where medium term strategic investment is now focused – not spodumene extraction. The China EV battery market, not domestic EV quotas, will drive investment in the industrial chemicals hub. [From one who got in early when a penny dreadful hobby gold expl tenement turned out to be adjacent to a large Li resource.] I know one Kiwi who’s gone from living in a van talking to magpies in the park to serious millions this year.